Can't Trust Myself
by Mending Hearts and Feelings
Summary: When the Riku Replica learns of the truth, he takes off in a frenzy of fear and anger; meeting up with a strange girl named Tora who seems to be able to make him drop his guard with just a look. Why is she helping him? Can he trust her? Riku ReplicaxOC
1. Stolen Beliefs

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters nor any of the songs used in here. All I own is the OC(s) and if you want to look at it, the plot. Hope you like the fanfic._

_**Summery**: When the Riku Replica learns of the truth, he takes off in a frenzy of fear and anger; meeting up with a strange girl named Tora who seems to be able to make him drop his guard with just a look. The Organization soon learns of his whereabouts and he must make a choice. Go with the Order or in danger Tora farther, who can truly make him feel alive. Secrets and lies threaten to destroy him, and he's not sure if he should keep his new name or throw it all away._

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_Stolen Beliefs_

"Vexen, why do you continue to lie to that _thing_? I mean, that creature is a fake, a mere copy of Riku." Larxene asked lazily.

"Because I don't need him running off on me, Larxene. Now wouldn't that be a major upset if he did run away since he can easily defeat Sora?" Vexen shot back.

_Copy? Did I just hear that correct? I'm nothing but a replica of Riku_! The replica stumbled backwards, wheeling to face the direction of a door, he bolted toward it. Pushing open the giant doors, he stepped out into the cold night air and looked around, gasping for breath when an icy gust whipped at his face.

"So cold," he gasped, startled by the brittle breeze that had greeted him.

Looking around for a second time, he weighed the options of which way was the best to go. His hair bristled as the sound of running feet grew closer and closer, panicking he bolted in a random direction that would take him away from the castle. Unable to see through the thick fog of fear and anger, he kept on running until he collapsed from exhaustion. "I... I don't understand, why would th...they hide that from me?" He asked breathlessly.

He heard the sound of footsteps a head of him; Riku Replica glanced up and summoned Soul Eater, having it ready in case he needed to defend himself. Confusion flashing across his face, he raised his hand forward and tried to concentrate on the figure. Feeling a gentle hand on his shoulder, his eyes fluttered closed for a moment. "Don't worry, you're safe now, they won't be able to hurt you anymore." A girl whispered.

"Wh.... Who are you?"

Riku Replica stared a head of him, trying to take in the girl's features. He felt her warm hand stroke his cheek, he found himself memorized as the girl spoke again in her soft voice, "You have to get some rest first, than I promise I'll answer all of your questions truthfully."

Unable to fight it off any longer, he gave into his exhaustion and drifted into a peaceful rest. Hoping, praying that this girl was still there. _I still wonder what her name is; will she be there when I wake? Or will she have run off to inform the Organization? _He asked himself.

* * *

He heard the words repeated over and over again, about him being a copy and that girl telling him to rest. _Who is that girl? Why did she tell me what she did? Was it to gain my trust? What's this feeling deep inside of me?_ He asked himself, curious about all this and more. Unsure of why, but a wave of panic flooded him and Riku Replica found himself fighting to wake. _I have to wake up! There's something wrong here, what if that girl's in danger? **Wake up!**_

_"_Ah!" He exclaimed, bolting up right do to the force of his command.

His eyes snapped from one side to the other, searching for the reason of the panic. A smile touching his lips, Riku Replica watched the girl in the corner. Her skin was extremely pale; it was like she hadn't seen the sun in months. She was small compared to him, from the looks of it she would come to his chest. Her hair was a shiny sheet of white gold, and from what he could see her hair fell to her shoulder blades.

She had small, slim features, the soft blue, knee length skirt and white tank top revealing this to him. If he was spell bound the most by one feature it was her eyes: a clear, soft blue-green. He wasn't sure why it was her eyes that captivated him the most, they just did. Was it because they were so beautiful? Or was it because they were a lighter shade of his?

Pushing himself into a sitting position he felt a sharp stab of pain and slumped back over, holding his right arm, trying to control some of the throbbing. The Riku Replica heard something go clattering to the ground, he felt a warm hand touch his arm which caused the pain to ease up.

"Are you okay? Is there anything that I can get for you?" The girl asked, anxious to know if she could help him.

Trying to ignore the pain, Riku Replica asked, "What's your name? How long have I been asleep? Where are..." He bit his lower lip, surprised by the amount his arm hurt. Looking over, he watched the girl run back to the basket and come straight to him, a jar of water in one hand and a cloth in the other.

He felt her press it gently to the injury; the ice-cold feeling seemed to help a little bit. Waiting for her reply, he listened as the girl muttered, "As for your questions, my name is Tora; you've been sleeping for like three days straight and I don't know where we are, I just came here as soon as I found you."

Riku Replica's ocean blue-green eyes looked over at her, the images of that night flashing into his mind. _So she was the one that found me, but why do I feel this way toward Tora?_ He thought, his hand hovering above where "his" heart was. Seeing the concern in her eyes, he smiled sheepishly and shook his head to assure her that he was fine. Reaching out a hand, he gently took a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. "You look better that way you know Tora." He whispered.

Confusion coming to his face at the low laughter, he tried to figure out what he said that had been funny to Tora._ What did I say that was so funny? Or is Tora just laughing because she wants to? Gr, this is so confusing! _Riku Replica thought flustered, blushing slightly out of embarrassment do to her laughter. Looking away from Tora he tried to think about what he could say, what else did he want to ask this girl? He thought about his questions from earlier, deciding against it he looked at her and continued, "Why did you chose to take care of me? How come you didn't turn me into the Organization? Why didn't you destroy me?"

Riku Replica wanted answers to these and more, looking at Tora for a few moments; he felt his confusion giving way to anger. "Calm down, I choose to take care of you because I felt the need to. I didn't turn you into the Organization because you deserve better, and the reason I didn't destroy you was answered when I told you why I decided to take care of you." Upon hearing this he looked away, the color retreating from his face out of embarrassment.

He tried to collect his thoughts in order, so Tora believed he didn't deserved to be there. Did she know about what he was? Surprise flickered in his eyes as Tora said quietly, "Do you mind if I call you Comet?"

Looking at her at this question, he blurted, "Sure!"

If it was even possible, Comet's face paled even farther, his words caught in his throat he looked away from Tora. _This is becoming more and more embarrassing,_ he thought to himself. Scrambling away from her, Comet eyed the girl, trying to figure out who she was. He saw her concern flickering a cross her eyes, possible another lie. But it seemed so sincere, so he highly doubted that it was an act. He never broke eye contact with her though; he remained where he was watching her; Soul Eater in hand.

"I won't hurt you; I swear it." She said, this shook him even more. Comet couldn't understand how she could read him so easily, when he had trouble reading her; even her darkness was different.

Her eyes glistening in the light from the fire, he saw that she seemed sad about his reaction; he cringed when she moved closer, not liking how she could easily disarm him.

Slapping her hand away, Comet stood up and backed away from her, his eyes guarded he demanded, "Why are you faking that sadness? That pity?" Having just had a hard time, he wasn't too surprised by the girl's reaction, her eyes blazed briefly before they returned to their sad state.

"I'm not faking any of it; _you_ can make _me_ feel for real." She muttered; he heard that under current in her voice. It resembled the same one the nobodies would get.

Comet eyed her; she seemed so fragile, so delicate. It actually hurt to see her that way, looking away so he wouldn't have to see the pain in her eyes; Comet muttered something under his breath. He knew that this caught Tora's attention, matter of fact; it caused her to move toward him. Backing away out of reflex, Comet shook his head at Tora.

He took another step away from her, his thoughts churning endlessly; he snapped, "Why don't you just leave me alone!" Without another word on the matter, Comet stormed off, furious with Tora. He hated that look on her face, that way she could disarm him with just a look.

He didn't take in any of his surrounding; he didn't see the trees thinning little by little. Soon he was out of them, near a pond of crystal-clear water; sitting down near the edge, Comet stared into it. He scowled at the reflection; all he could see was Riku, his original. How could she possibly think he was anything different? He knew that he had to deal with it; and this stupid information he found out, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it. _Why am I the fake and he's real? Why was I chosen to be his copy? Why me of all people?_ he thought.

Comet thought about these questions, turning them over in his mind again and again. He tried to think about it, about his reactions to Tora; the way she made him feel like a lost, scared child. There were only three words to describe his feelings about it: He. Hated. It. He felt the fog settling in, he already knew that daybreak was approaching. It was only when the sun started to rise did he get up, heading back to the campsite Comet tried to suppress the shock when he saw Tora awake.

"What are you doing up? You should be sleeping," he muttered.

Tora's light blue-green eyes held his, pulling him deeper into them than they had before. Shaking his head to clear the trance, Comet glowered at her and remained where he was, at the edge of the clearing. He saw the frown that came to her lips, it unnerved him a little bit, but not as much as it had the night before. "You should have been sleeping too," she retorted.

Comet knew this was true, he cringed a little at that glare, he knew she couldn't see it though. Meeting her gaze with a cold one of his own, he moved forward to stand two feet from her. He could touch her arm if he wanted, but he didn't want to; if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to run away from her. "Your right, I should have been asleep, but just because I wasn't didn't give you any right to stay up." He sneered, without waiting for her reply, Comet walked off, more like stalked off, heading straight back to that pond to clear his thoughts.

Reaching it, he sat down and thought, _She's so infuriating, I wish I could just leave her by herself._ He knew that's what he wanted more than anything, but it seemed as if he was stuck with her. Running a hand through his hair, Comet sighed and continued to look straight a head of him. He would avoid her as long as possible only returning every few hours to check on her and that was it. He didn't realize how exhausted he was; standing up he moved over to a tree and laying down next to it, grateful for the shade that it provided. Closing his eyes, Comet drifted off to sleep, allowing his mind to block out everything and everyone.

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_**Mend**: Okay, I hope you all liked the first chapter. Please leave a review, and if something could be improved please do it in a nice way. I'll try to have the next chapter up ASAP._

_**Tora**: Yes, please leave a review._

_**Comet**: Mend, I really don't think I want to know what you're planning._

_**Mend**: It doesn't matter Comet, you're going to start to find out in the next chapter._


	2. Secrets

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, it's characters or any songs used in here, the lyrics are to the awesome song "Never Ending Dream" by Liz Constantine; all I own is the OC(s). Lame disclaimer, I know._

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Secrets

Her blue-green eyes scanned around her, her knees to her chest Tora debated with her self: Should she go and find Comet; or leave him alone? She shook her head, angry and hurt by his words. Tears welling up, she hung her head to conceal them, her hair falling around her face. _What's the point? He doesn't care about you, but what about that connection?_ she asked herself. Tora already could tell a few things, and they all involved Comet. One: She knew he was lying to her, two: he could make her emotions real, and three: she was completely devoted to him.

Tora stood up and brushed a lock of hair away, tucking it behind her ear; she turned to face the direction he had run off in. Raising a hand to her chest, she blinked twice before walking away from the deceased fire; it had burned out at five-thirty sharp. She felt her cheeks burning; it was anger not embarrassment. She couldn't understand him, than again she could never understand boys. _Why is he so touchy? Is there something he's hiding from me?_ She thought.

Her feet carrying her to the pond, she looked around her. The trees were healthy and beautiful; the leaves were green despite it nearly being fall. Tora closed her eyes, listening to the things around her; sweet, gentle memories surfaced in her mind. She shook her head to dismiss them, not wanting to dwell on the past; she opened her eyes and giggled quietly. Comet was soundly asleep under one of the trees; he looked like a little kid that way. So happy and relaxed not at all guarded like he was that last time she'd seen him.

Tora didn't try to stop herself, she moved over and sat down, watching him she saw his lips moving. Caressing his cheek, she sang quietly, "_Inside your pain and sorrow, never ending dream, still lives close to your wounded heart. Don't fall apart, let me hold you in my arms, so you can rest your soul. Drifting through the winds of time, feeling the warmth of sweet memories, you'll realize, you're not all alone. Always, I'll be right here by your side._"

She paused, thinking of the next words, than remembering she continued in the same tone, "_Don't be afraid, open the door to your heart you'll find, all the dreams that you believe, is waiting for you. Shining bright, together we'll make it true, feeling your love, there's to fear when you are near._" She stopped, suddenly realizing what her brother had meant all those years ago, she truly did have a gift for music. She wasn't sure if it was about him or her self, but Tora knew that somehow that song fit what was going on.

A smile coming to her face, it reached her eyes like it usually did. Tora watched him sleep, she smiled and stroked his hair out of his face, he seemed so innocent and vulnerable this way, making it hard for her to believe that he had snapped at her just hours ago. She couldn't believe it, the illusion shattered when his eyes fluttered a little, they opened and he pulled away from her. She frowned at him, not surprised by that movement; shaking her head Tora stood up and got ready to leave. "Lunch will be ready at twelve 'o clock sharp, I just thought I'd let you know," she said crossly before moving away from him.

Tora moved quickly, reaching the edge of the trees before Comet said, "Tora, can I talk to you?"

She froze; there were no other words for it. Turning to face him, she smiled icily at him, her eyes heavily guarded; it wasn't a friendly gesture but it wasn't a leave-me-alone sort of gesture either. Tora saw him cringe that time, she closed most of the gape between them, standing at arm's length, she watched him as he fought not to move away from her.

Quite frankly, Tora didn't blame Comet for fighting so hard; she wanted to back up a couple of feet her self. She held his gaze for a few moments; he was the one that broke eye contact, looking at the ground in between them. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about something." He muttered, pricking her curiosity, Tora walked forward, slipping a hand under his chain, she lifted his head up so she could see his eyes.

"Go on," she prompted.

He took a deep breath, to calm his nerves more than likely, than he continued hurriedly, "I was wondering what you thought of replicas? Do you like them or think of them as mere pawns? What would you do if you found out someone were a replica? Would you treat them like a normal person; or shun them because of what they were?"

Taken aback by the sudden rush of questions, she remembered being asked something similar, but instead it was about Nobodies and the man wasn't too thrilled with her answers. She laughed quietly, than looking at him she answered truthfully, "I don't mind them, they're living creatures like you and me." A dry chuckle escaped her on the last part, than she continued, "I would treat them the same why I'd want to be treated, and I wouldn't care if they were a replica or not."

Relief came to his ocean blue-green eyes, this made her even more curious. She was about to ask when she changed her mind, smiling she grabbed his hand and led him back toward their campsite. On the way she remained quiet, feeling Comet watching her with much interest; she tried not to fidget under his stare and succeed in doing so. As soon as she stepped in the circle of trees, Tora let go of his hand and wandered over to her bag that was lying next to her sleeping bag. Her thoughts churning, she weighed the options of what the chance of him laughing at her were.

"There's something weighing on your mind, isn't there?" Comet asked.

She turned to face him, surprised that he could tell that. Nodding her head, she moved over to the fire and got it started again, setting the pan with the pork chops in it over the flames. She remained crouched near it, waiting until she absolutely had too before she straightened; Tora sighed mentally as she turned to face Comet. She tried to avoid his eyes, those deep ocean blue-green pools. "It's nothing that important though, so don't worry about it," she lied, knowing at once that he hadn't fallen for the lie, she had never been good at it.

"Yeah, sure, what's wrong?" He prompted.

Tora looked Comet in the eye; she didn't enjoy the fact that he knew she was lying. She sputtered under her breath; Tora was really starting to dislike whatever was going on with her. She already knew what she wanted to say, but she couldn't figure out how to word it without being rude or snippy. When nothing came to her, she sighed in defeat and started to check the food; taking the meat off of the pan, she set it onto plates, than she removed the pan the pork chops were in only to replace it with a small pot that held vegetables.

She wasn't sure how to approach the matter; it seemed stupid to be so shy about this; and yet kind of smart to be reluctant about it. Shaking her head, Tora closed her eyes and thought, _Come on, he asked you something totally crazy and random, now it's your turn._ Even though she told herself that, she still couldn't muster the courage to ask him the question. "I'm not going to bite you know, you can ask me whatever it is," Comet grumbled, growing peeved at her reluctance to tell him.

A smile touched her lips; it was comforting to hear him say that, even if he was getting mad at her. She placed the vegetables on the plates, handed one to Comet and kept one for herself. Sitting down, she patted to the area next to her; Comet took the spot but still didn't seem too happy with her. _Boys, I'll never understand them,_ she thought, laughing quietly as Comet, quite literally, was trying to destroy a piece of broccoli, stabbing it multiple times with his fork. "Okay Comet, its dead, you killed it." She laughed.

Comet looked at her, pausing in his attempt at completely destroying the vegetable. She met his gaze with a steady, amused one of her own; his eyes were bright with mischief and shame, obviously he had forgotten that she was there. He grinned sheepishly and looked away from her, clearly ashamed that she had caught him doing it. She smiled and stabbed one of hers, it was a Brussels sprout, which she never liked in the first place; lifting it up for him to see, she smiled and nodded. "I'll take it you don't like broccoli," she commented lightly.

"You don't like Brussels sprouts!" He retorted half-heartily.

She met his gaze and laughed, he had started laughing too, his deeper laugh mixed perfectly with her light one. The laughter died down instantly, standing up she looked around, Comet moving in front of her, his sword in hand. Nervous, Tora peeked around him in time to see three black robed people step out, she recognized one from the night she found Comet. "You gave us quite a run, toy, but you have to face your original, it's your fate as a replica," the female said, her blue eyes cold and stern. She had short blond hair; some of it seemed to be more like TV antennas than whatever she was trying for.

The female was also smaller than the two men with her. Tora remained hidden behind him, looking at the man with longer pale blond hair, she giggled quietly only to fall silent when Comet hissed quietly, "Don't alert them of your presence."

She barely nodded when the last male let a small laugh escape, she had seen him when she was taking Comet away from where she'd found him, she also recognized him from before her home world was attacked by the Heartless. She kept her head down, staying close to Comet she felt her breath catch in her throat; the reason was what the third person said, "Hello Tora, it's been a while, hasn't it? I mean, first you and your dear, sweet older brother got separated, than you steal from us? What will Saix say when he learns what his baby sister has been up to?"

Her heart broke at this, but what hurt even more was when Comet moved away from her and turned to face her, still shielding her from the Order's view. "What is he talking about Tora? Are you truly Saix's little sister?" He asked, his eyes hurt and angry, it made her want to crawl into a corner and die. She knew she couldn't do it though, and that she couldn't lie to him either.

Tora nodded her head, unable to speak or look at Comet, she knew that he was furious but this is what she wanted to ask him, that and if he liked, liked her. She stared at her feet, not brave enough to meet Comet's pain filled eyes. She had lied to him about it, but she was planning on telling him the truth sooner or later. "Tora, look at me, meet my eyes, please." Comet whispered.

Tora tore her gaze from the ground, meeting his pain filled blue-green with her own sad eyes. _I'm sorry._ She mouthed, the honesty of these words shining in her tear-filled eyes, knowing that besides her brother, that she had probably gained the hatred of the one person she could turn to, no matter what. Tora shook her head, wanting to explain everything to him. "When you said I made it where you could feel for real, was that a lie?" He asked quietly.

She heard the unspoken question: _Why did you hide that from me? Why Tora?_ She held his gaze steadily, despite that she was quivering like no tomorrow. "No, it wasn't a lie. I told you the truth, I planned to tell you this, I swear." She whispered softly, than a thought quickly revealed it self, going on instinct she murmured in a barely audible voice, "I love you."

Comet jerked away from her, she saw his eyes widen yet he held her gaze none the less. She smiled reassuringly; she wanted to show that she was telling him the truth. She wasn't sure where to begin though, how was she supposed to show him that she was being honest, when she didn't know how? It seemed so confusing; surprise crossed her face when she saw what Larxene was planning. The female nobody tossed a kunai at Comet's back, but the final member, the red head stepped in the way and deflected it. "Larxene, you can't do something like that, it's far too reckless."

Her eyes blazing, she glowered at the red head standing not even two feet away from her. "Axel!" She snarled; reaching into a pocket of her bag, she pulled out a dagger and held it at the ready. She knew it was trouble, especially when Larxene attacked her by throwing an electrified kunai knife at her. Falling to her knees from shock, Tora looked at Axel and Comet, the silver headed boy's face was furious, but it wasn't at her, it was aimed completely at the blond that had attacked her. She watched him quickly turn around, Soul Eater at the ready to attack Larxene.

"Oh please Replica, you tried that once and I knocked you to the ground. Don't you remember that?" Larxene teased.

Tora knew that yes, while Comet was angry that she had kept something vital from him, he was relieved when he learned that she was planning on telling him. She watched Vexen step up, her eyes met his chilly green, and the male smirked coldly at her before he sent ice her way. Tora was ready to scramble away from it, but she didn't move an inch when Comet snapped, "Vexen, enough!"

Larxene's eyes cut straight to them, getting up she moved to stand behind Comet, he had his back to her so he was facing the group of nobodies. Her heart clenching, Tora nearly screamed when Comet bargained, "How about this, I come with you guys and you forget that you ever saw Tora. You don't tell anyone about her, you just completely forget her."

Vexen seemed to like the idea; his smile was as icy as his attack. "Very well, I'll allow that to happen, only on two conditions." He paused, allowing Tora to start to feel kind of sick, her throat closing a little, she tried to block out his words: "As long as you come now and quietly, and if you listen to us; which means never seeing Tora again."

She felt Comet go rigid, all of the muscles in his body was tight; and Tora was willing to bet that he had clenched his jaw to prevent from shouting at this. She watched him nod curtly and move away from her, moving closer to the Nobodies. Her mind numbing, she watched him toss one look back at her, his eyes reflecting her whispered words. "Comet, I..." Her voice trailed off, unable to find any strength to tell him that she'd find a way to save him, that she wouldn't let the Organization keep him as their puppet.

Tora watched helplessly as Larxene, Vexen and Comet walked through a portal. She collapsed to the ground, the dagger still in her hand, she met Axel's emerald gaze, and she hated him more than ever. "How's your heart?" He asked calmly. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him that what was the point in asking? Yes, she had a heart but she didn't have her emotions; but Comet changed that, he gave her emotions and they had to come and steal him away. Instead of saying anything, Tora brought her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. "It's that bad? I guess I really have to tell Saix than, you know he's looking for you," the red head commented, stepping through the swirling black and green vortex.

She watched it close behind him, good riddance. She wasn't sure how long she stayed there, rocking back and forth; but when she realized that it was dark was when the cold started to sweep through her clothes. Shivering, Tora glanced around to see that she was completely and utterly alone. She forced herself to stand up, to move around and get dinner ready, the plates with lunch forgotten. "What just happened?" She asked no one, her mind not registering the recent event of Comet leaving her. Tora remembered that he was a replica, she remembered clearly that hurt on his face when he found out the truth about her; cringing at it Tora knew that the right thing to do was going to be way harder than the easy thing to do.

"I'll find you, I promise," she murmured.


	3. Faith

_**Disclaimer**: __I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters, forget this. All I own is the OC(s); the rest belongs to their respective owners. Please play this: __Home__ by Chris Daughtry. The lyrics belong to Daughtry, since they are part of his song. Sorry if you don't like him or that song, but it fits perfectly with this chapter. Okay, if you haven't played Chain of Memories remix, this chapter does contain spoilers, sorry._

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_Faith_

He looked out the window, night had fallen twice since he'd last seen Tora. His lips drawn into a thin line, Comet paced back and forth; he clenched his fist. Unable to process anything clearly, he glanced at Namine, the blond was too focused on the door a head of her. Comet had to admit he was a little anxious, but he couldn't figure out why. He searched his mind and heart, and of course, came up empty.

Comet groaned; he should have known he'd get that from looking inside him self for the answer. Whipping around, he stepped in front of Namine, shielding her from the person emerging from the door. His muscles tight, Comet stood in a battle ready stance, relaxing only when he saw that it was Sora, Donald and Goofy, not Marluxia.

_They defeated him, that's great._ He thought, relieved at this information. Comet stepped aside to let Namine through, deciding it was time for him to leave, Comet headed toward the door.

_

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Tora easily slipped behind the tree, the ebony cloak protected her from the shadows around her. She glanced around, checking if the coast was clear, when she saw that no one was near, Tora continued on her way. Focused on her mission, the dark headed teen kept moving; she wasn't about to break her promise to him.

Shaking her head, she called upon her memories of not only Comet, but her brother too. She stopped and closed her eyes, summoning the final words her brother said to her; two years ago:

_"Tora, you have to remember something."_

_"What's that brother?"_

_His green eyes locked onto her blue-green; the soft, gentle brother-father look in them warmed her, much like they'd always done whenever she was frightened. "No matter what, even if we haven't seen each other in years, I'll always be there when you need me." He rested his hand over her heart, smiled and than pulled away from her; his eyes kind._

Tora didn't frown but instead opened her eyes and got moving again, she knew that he was right, that he always was there, even if it wasn't physically. Reaching the doors, she pushed them open, stepping in side she froze and sniffed the air, detecting a strong stench of darkness. "Despite that, I know he's here," she murmured, nodding at what she said, Tora kept moving; heading straight for the basements.

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Comet had already exchanged words with Sora, declining his offer to stay with him. It wouldn't matter if he had wanted to anyway, Namine was fixing Sora's memory, the brunette would have forgotten him. Walking down the hallway, he thought about the fact he was a replica, that he was nothing but an empty shell.

Looking up he saw Axel leaning casually against the wall, he sighed but still approached the redheaded Nobody. He stopped two feet from him, looking at Axel he asked, "What do you want?"

Axel smiled a friendly smile, pushing away from the wall; he walked over, causing Comet to take a step back. He wasn't about to forgive the nobody for his stunt earlier, and it must have been clear on his face, because Axel stopped and frowned at him. "Honestly Comet, is that anyway to act toward a friend?" The Nobody asked.

He looked away and snorted, not about to fall for that trick, he met the emerald-eyed pyromaniac's gaze before tapping his foot impatiently. He didn't want to waste time on this creep, but he knew that he couldn't lose him. "How about I make you a deal? I'll help you become someone that's not Riku, your own person." Axel commented lightly.

That pricked his interest, looking at Axel he blinked and thought about how much he wanted that, to be real. Comet nodded his head, he also thought that maybe, if he was real, than Tora wouldn't have kept that stuff hidden from him. Axel smiled at him, turned and summoned a portal; stepping through it the redheaded man left it open for the replica.

Sort of timidly, he stepped through the swirling mass; unable to shake the feeling of uneasy that washed over him. He scanned through his memories, fighting off the darkness to keep his skin from darkening, or his eyes going an amber color. Stepping through the other end, he checked to see where they were, the basements of the castle. Confused, he looked at Axel to see if he would explain anything; but the redheaded man kept his mouth shut. Growing frustrated he clenched his jaw briefly before unclenching it. Not saying a word, Comet stared at Zexion and watched him back up against the wall, only to a moment later relax. "Oh? Oh yes, the replica, of course.

"We can use this Riku to defeat the real one," Zexion said.

Silence, than in a slightly worried tone, Zexion asked, "Axel?"

"Wouldn't you like to be real?"

He slowly nodded his head, and right after that motion several things happened at once. "All you need is the kind of power that the real Riku doesn't have. If you get that, than you can be a new person, not Riku, nor anybody else. You won't just be a copy of someone, you'll be unique, your own self." Axel said, the promise in those words were something he couldn't refuse.

Blinking, he lifted his head and looked at Zexion; wanting to cringe as Zexion demanded, "Axel, what are you saying to him?" He hated it when people acted like he wasn't there, clenching his fist; Comet waited for Axel's next words, to hear if he could get started on killing Zexion.

"You know," Axel started, what did he know? Or at least he was supposed to know? "He's as good as place to start as any."

Comet blinked again, remaining silent through the entire conversation between the two members. He snarled inwardly as Zexion exclaimed, "You can't do this!" Sick of his whining, Comet moved over quickly and grabbed a hold of the collar of his cloak, lifting him high into the air, he choked the sixth member of the Organization, tired of all these lies. He felt Zexion struggling, trying to pry his hand loose, but that only caused him to tighten his grip; soon Zexion started to fade and Comet started to absorb his powers. "Sorry Zexion," Axel began, no regret in his tone, the redhead continued, "Hm, you just found out way too much."_

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_

She ran through the first basement, trying to make her way to where he was, frantic as she felt a familiar sensation of uneasy wash over her. _I can't do this; I need more information here. How am I supposed to find him by myself? Isa, please help me,_ she thought, knowing that her brother couldn't hear her. Tora shook her head and kept running, she skidded to a stop as Heartless barred her path. She didn't have time for this; she had to get to Comet right away! Frustrated, she pulled out a kunai knife and flung it at a Neo Shadow. This was going to take some time.

After he was finished, Comet turned to see that Axel was gone, looking down at his hands, he felt anger start to overwhelm him. Axel lied to him. He wasn't any stronger, and he wasn't his own person. "How could he lie to me?" Comet muttered, and instantly knew what he had to do. Stalking off to basement two, it didn't take the replica long to reach it. Glowering at Riku's back, the replica clutched Soul Eater, already knowing that his original was different, he wasn't afraid of the darkness anymore.

"Maybe Namine is here," Riku whispered.

Anger flashing, Comet couldn't take it anymore. "Hold it." He snapped, getting a reaction that he had hoped for, the original jumped and turned around, startled by his order. He held his original's gaze, he stood near the entrance of the forest if you were leaving the mansion; after a moment he moved forward. Stopping with still a decent amount of space between them, he never broke eye contact with the original.

"Hmph. You've changed. Your own darkness--- it doesn't frighten you anymore." He said coldly, and he couldn't believe Riku's comment. How did he know? Comet shook himself mentally, unable to tell if this was for real or if it was Riku's idea of a sick, twisted joke. "Because I'm you," he muttered bitterly. Hating that he was admitting what he was, to him that meant he was giving up on all hope of becoming his own person.

"No, I'M me."

Comet laughed inwardly, he nodded once and repeated, "'I'm me', he says. Must be nice being real. A fake like me could never get away with saying that." He paused, knowing that it cut him deeply to hear himself say that out loud; he could never say something like that. His anger getting the better of him, Comet snarled, looking at his hands, "That's right. I'm a phony, a fake!" He put his hand over his heart, leaving it there for a moment; he hung his head and let his hand drop to his side. "The way I look, the way I feel, everything I remember! And even this new found power!" He sneered, looking down at the ground; he started to glow a bluish-purple color.

He lifted his head, looking at the sky now, he heard Riku's startled "Huh?" but didn't respond right a way. Still glowing, he continued in an angry, self-mocking tone, "I thought by finding some new strength, I could finally be someone...." The dark aura faded away, leaving him once again staring at the ground, ready to break. "Someone who is not at all you! But...nothing changes...I'm still just empty!" He snarled, his voice starting to hint at his inner pain.

"Everything about me is borrowed. As long as you're around," he said, anger and pain lacing every word; he summoned Soul Eater and continued, "I'll never be more than a shadow!" Angry, hurt and confused, Comet glowered at Riku who just glared back, holding his blade above his head; he waited for his original to follow suit.

A few minutes after he had, Riku did the same.

He exchanged blow for blow, even attempting to use Dark Aura, only to be knocked back by the original. He eyes sweeping the area around them, searching to see if there was anything that he could use to his advantage; he froze as his eyes locked on a certain girl. "Tora," he whispered under his breath. His gaze snapping back to Riku, he felt Riku's Soul Eater connect with him. Cuts up and down his arms were bleeding, even a nasty one running along the top of his right eye. Laying defeated in a pool of darkness, he watched as his body started to disintegrate; thinking over some questions he was figuring out should he ask or not. "So, it's over." He whispered his voice weak.

Silence settling in, he muttered softly, "Hmph. Death doesn't frighten me. Good riddance to a phony life." Despite this, he was afraid about what did Tora think; how long had she been there watching? And last, but certainly not least, where would his heart go? Shaking on the inside, he kept up the tough guy act, not wanting Tora to be upset. "My heart was never real;" he finished.

"That's not true, your heart is real; and there are two things you have that Riku does, and never will." Tora said, tears in her voice.

Looking over at her, he raised an eyebrow as Tora whispered softly, "Our memories together and me."

Surprise entering his numb mind, he looked away from her, not wanting to see the tears sliding down her face. To cover his own despair, he ranted, "I'm sure even what I'm feeling now is probably all fake." He was surprised when Riku asked, such innocence and curiosity in his voice, "What are you feeling?"

Quiet, Comet continued to stare up at the sky and answered truthfully, "What happens when a fake dies ---- one like me? Where will my heart go?" The orange and black clouds drifted over head, not parting so he could see the sunset one last time. "Does it disappear?" He asked quietly.

He didn't look away from the sky, but he heard Tora moving closer as Riku answered firmly, "It'll go somewhere." Riku paused, his head down, he continued, "Maybe to the same place as mine."

Comet laughed a little, finding it funny on how much they were a like. "A faithful replica until the very end." He sighed; quiet he felt the tears starting to try to escape. "That's...okay." He said, and he was thankful when he was swallowed by the darkness.

_

* * *

_

She watched helplessly as he faded away, just like when her brother took the attack from the Heartless for her. Shaken, she looked over to see Riku still staring at where Comet was, stumbling over she gripped his arm and met his blue-green eyes. _So, this is Comet's original?_ she asked herself, taking in his features she could see some resemblance, but Riku wasn't hers. Shaking her head, she pulled away and asked quietly, "Comet, why did you have to disappear?"

Tora felt Riku touch her arm, stepping away she heard him said comfortingly, "You can come with me if you want, and don't worry; I promise I won't ever forget him." She looked at him, and to her that wasn't good enough. She didn't want that; she wanted him here. Shaking her head, she watched Riku walk inside the gate and inside the mansion. Sitting down, she just sat there and allowed the tears to fall.

"_And I don't know why, but you always seem to give me another try, so I'm going home. To the place where I belong, where love has always been enough for me. Not running from, though I think you got me all wrong; I don't regret this life choose for me. These places and these faces are getting old,_" she sang softly, trying to comfort herself, but it wasn't working.

Her knees to her chest, she had her arms wrapped around them and looked at the ground. I wish you didn't have to die Comet, she thought. Her eyes widened, as suddenly a pool of darkness showed up in the exact spot that Comet was. Standing up, she inched forward, peering at it she squeaked as a familiar person started to appear out of it. Instead of silver hair it was pitch black, only the tips were silver. His skin was a still the same shade, but his eyes was the most beautiful shade of emerald green she'd ever seen. "You're, you're here." She said, surprised by the fact that he was there, even though he'd faded not too recently.

Squeaking, Tora flung herself at him only to hear Comet grunt, obviously still wounded from his fight with Riku. Holding him at arm's length, she smiled at him and didn't mind when he asked, "Who's Saix?"

She smiled and chimed, "Well, you see...."

He stared up at the full moon, his blue hair brushing his shoulders, he turned to see Axel. Raising an eyebrow, the gold-eyed young man watched him as the redhead smiled, it was a friendly one. "Hey Saix, you won't believe who I saw." Axel piped up, clearly excited by what ever he saw.

Saix didn't say anything, so Axel continued, "I saw your little sister the other day, remember her?"

He froze completely, looking at the emerald-eyed pyromancia; he shook his head and dismissed Axel. Putting a damper on the redhead's mood, Saix waited until he was gone before drifting over to his desk, opening a drawer he pulled out a photo and looked at it. It was one of him and his sister; she was twelve while he was twenty-five. "Can it be true?" He asked quietly, confused he turned his gaze back to the moon right outside his window. 'Tora, are you really alive?"

_**Mend**: Okay, now since this one is up; do I A) create a sequel or leave it as it is, B) If I do create a sequel, make a separate thread for it; or C) continue if this story?_

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